I’ve been riding with the NiteRider Cherry Bomb tail light this past winter. It’s basically NiteRider’s answer to PlanetBike’s super popular SuperFlash blinky, and has similar features: a 1/2 watt that flashes brightly along with a pair of quick flashing smaller LEDs.
Cost, reliability, brightness and visibility are almost equivalent to PlanetBike’s light, though I think NR’s lens does a better job directing the 1/2 watt light to maximize visibility.
I’ve lost lights to traffic mishaps before, but the NR actually survived getting run over by a city bus!
I cycled down Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose last night, taking the lane, when I hit a few big bumps after 1st Street and I heard something plastic clattering in the road behind me. I looked back to see my flashing red blinky hit the road and get run over by a San Jose police car!
I immediately pulled over, stopped and walked back to the light, which I could see still bravely flashing away as car after car tried crunching it into submission. Then a VTA #22 articulated bus roared directly on top of the light!
I thought the Cherry Bomb was a goner but it still valiantly flashed away in the right tire track. There was finally enough of a traffic break that I could play Frogger to quickly grab the remains of my light.
Some of the plastic bits are dented up and I now need tape to hold everything together, but the light still works fine. Every bike light I’ve had before fails completely if I so much as drop it from handlebar height, but the Cherry Bomb took a lashing and keeps on flashing.
NiteRider Cherry Bomb Taillight
To be fair about the mount — I was using a mount that doesn’t actually go with the NR Cherry Bomb light, and I do know about the zip tie trick to ensure I don’t lose lights like this.
See also:
- Stuff I like: Bicycle lights
- Niterider MiNewt 600 Cordless headlight
- Bomb threat San Jose Diridon Station
- Princeton Tec Swerve bicycle tail light
